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The Boy and the Bell
The Meeting The sun merciless already in the late hours of the morning as its beams reached down from the sky, enveloping all of Rukongai in a hot, humid atmosphere while steadily rising higher and higher. Nevertheless, the streets were as busy as ever with vendors yelling their offers, children—the pickpockets, the orphans, the street rats—dashing in between both buyers and sellers as their shrill shrieks, laughs and cries mingled with the thousands upon thousands of other sounds already present in the markets. However, while everything seemed peaceful, tranquil, some might even say, chaos still existed right beneath the very nose of the Seireitei. Cloaked in the shadows that filled the narrow alleyways and the streets at night, a man dragged off with a spitting, thrashing boy, his hand having a firm grip in the child’s hair and a scowl plastered on his face as the two of them disappeared into a dark alley not that far from the main market street. “You little punk!” the man growled as he aimed a swift kick at the huddling, dirty boy in front of him, “You think that stealing from me goes without punishment, huh? I bet you didn’t know just why those stealing rats, just like you, avoid my shop, but then allow me to explain!” Another kick connected with the abdomen of the boy, drawing out a grunt from him as he flew back a few paces. “I believe that is quite enough,” a young, female, voice spoke firmly from behind the man as a hand grabbed onto the raised arm above the shopkeeper’s head, “It would seem that your opinion on this matter has sunken through for the boy.” The shopkeeper froze as he turned his head to look over the shoulder, lips thin in displeasure and fury flickering in his eyes as he locked gazes with the woman who had grabbed his arm. “''Shinigami''…” “Indeed,” the woman growled as she calmly dug the tips of her fingers into a specific spot on the man’s lower arm, making him hiss in pain as flares of agony ran through the appendage, “If I’m not mistaken then the midday rush of customers will be beginning shortly. You should return to your stall now so you won’t miss any customers, don’t you think so?” The vendor slowly stepped away from the still huddled boy on the ground, shifting between shooting the shinigami and the boy withering glares as the woman let go of his arm and instead nodded to her partner. “Run along now, big guy,” the other shinigami said dully as he rolled his shoulders, the joints popping audibly as he shot the vendor an annoyed glare, “Let’s not have you dig your hole deeper in Makinami’s eyes than you already have.” Spitting on the ground before uttering a vile curse the vendor pushed past the pair of shinigami, shooting both of them poisonous glares before turning the corner of the alley and disappearing into the mass of souls not far away. “Well, that takes care of that,” the woman sighed as she stretched her arms backwards, “For a moment I thought he wouldn’t give in.” “Oh, for the love of all that’s holy!” her partner growled, “Makinami-san, you can’t just run off like that and play the hero of justice! Someone is bound to take it the wrong way some day!” “That man was harassing a kid!” “And that kid probably stole his own weight in sweets, idiot! Things like that happens all the time out here in the Rukongai!” “That doesn’t make it right to beat the poor boy half to death!” the woman, Makinami, said curtly as she looked down at the boy on the ground. The woman was quiet as she knelt down in front of the boy, her face slowly lighting up with a soft look in her eyes, a bright smile on her lips and her small hand held out towards him, “Are you alright, little guy?” The boy avoided the woman's eyes. It has been months since he got into the Soul Society, and it certainly wasn't the first time he did this. He has heard of the beings clad in black that keep the things around Soul Society in check; whether the woman was on his side or not won't matter the moment she finds out that he has been roaming around and stealing food around the streets. This was simply one of the first few moments he was caught. He was hungry. No, he was starving. And for the record, he didn't know what to pay with. But he couldn't keep his feelings hidden forever, and he couldn't ignore the woman forever. His stomach eventually bellowed, a soft grooook. A soft giggle slipped past the woman's lips as she tried hiding the beginnings of a grin behind her hand. "Damn, that doesn't sound good," the male shinigami grunted as he squatted down beside Makinami, "When was the last time you ate, kid?" And now there were two of them. If memory served him right, police officers in the real world wouldn't waste their times on hungry kids like him. They would arrest him right away, and probably lock him up behind bars like they did when he was still a human. He hoped that they could just, at the very least, leave him be. He backed down the alley, his bruised feet shuffling their way above the solid ground. His hunger was none of their business. He didn't want to be locked away again. He didn't want to see their faces again...the faces of regret that their beloved child was locked up because they didn't have enough money to buy him food. But then, a tear ran down his cheek. For all he knew, he was separated from his parents. The moment he woke up in Soul Society, he was alone. He ran around, desperately calling out to his parents...but it was inevitable that he didn't find them, nor hear about them. It all passed the moment someone told him that he was dead. Streams of tears now ran down his cheek, falling to the ground in front of him. His vision blurred, his legs didn't move. In a moment, he was brought down to his knees by sheer sadness...and hunger. "Oi!" the woman yelped and grabbed the boy before he fell to the ground, shooting her partner a worried glance as she held the boy tighter. He was nothing but skin and bones, his ribs easy to mark through his ratty clothes and weighing far less than any boy should, much less a soul. "That kid is practically done for, Makinami," her partner grunted and rose from his position close to the ground, "Shouldn't we jus—?" "I'm getting him something to eat," the woman interrupted quietly and got a firmer hold around the boy's thin body, letting him lean against her shoulder as she straightened up. "Shiemi, no," her partner growled, "The only thing you'll accomplish with that is teaching the brat that shinigami equals food. Just give him a few coins and let's be on our way back to the Barracks, our shift is nearly over anyway." "You go back if you want, I'm taking this kid to get some grub," Shiemi said curtly before she marched past her partner, disappearing behind the same corner as the vendor had done a few moments earlier and leaving behind her baffled partner. "O-oi! Makinami, you idiot!" ---- Ignoring the strange looks she received from the many souls walking about, Shiemi continued down the main street until she reached one of the many restaurants that lined both sides. Picking an old spot that, if her memory served correctly, served some of the best miso around in the district Shiemi somehow managed to open the door with an elbow while still keeping a tight hold on the boy in her arms. "A table for two, please!" she said with a wide grin to the baffled waiter, ignoring the boy's drool that no doubt was soaking the collar of her shihakusho, and was led to a small table. She carefully got the unconscious boy situated properly in the chair across from hers and then sat back quietly in her own, ordering a small set of snacks and drinks while waiting for the boy to wake up. Preoccupied as she was with making sure the young soul was comfortable, she did not notice the stranger who had been following her since the main part of the market district. He stood across the street from the restaurant for a moment, cautiously gauging the place from beneath the shadow of his wide-brimmed straw hat. The sign above the door flaunted the grand title of “''Emerald Lotus'',” but the building itself seemed small and inconspicuous in comparison. With sagging eaves and stained paint that suggested years of good use, it was obvious that the establishment had withstood the tests of time and taste. Squinting his eyes against the clear, bright sky, the man lifted his gaze to track the shadow of a hawk that circled high above the city, revealing in the process a distinctive scar that carved a diagonal line across his face. He nodded, then crossed the street and entered the restaurant. If Shiemi noticed the newcomer who had taken a seat a short distance away from her and the boy, she would have seen nothing more than a weary traveler in well-worn kosode who was engrossed in his mitarashi-dango and tea. Yet his keen eyes observed her narrowly, and along with the small bundle of belongings at his feet he had concealed an elongated, meter-long object that, despite being wrapped carefully in cloth, was no doubt a sword. He had done his best to blend into his surroundings, but his hands traced the edge of his cup restlessly, betraying a subtle hint of tension as he continued to observe his apparent target. Before anything could happen, the boy woke up, his expression still dulled from before. He gazed around, his expression slowly shifting to a more confused one. Then his gaze narrowed down to the delicious food before him. His hands, while still shaking, slowly moved their way up to the table and maneuver with the chopstick placed on the left of the meal. The boy munched through the food quick, as if he haven't eaten in months. The fact that he ignored who was before him, where was he, or what had happened just further prove that he truly hadn't eaten in months. In mere minutes, the boy completely chomped down the entire set of food. It probably didn't matter to him whether the food was overcooked or tender or just fine. Slowly tilting his head up, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the woman in black robes, all the while watching him eat so silently. Then again he hadn't figured out what happened nor how did he end up there in the first place. "I brought you here," Shiemi said quietly, reading the silent question in his eyes before sipping on a small cup of tea as she kept her eyes trained on the boy, "You shouldn't eat so fast, by the way. It's not healthy." She continued looking on the boy with a soft smile on her lips, leaning forward while resting her chin in her hand, "Do you know how I found you?" The boy squirmed at the sight of the woman. "Who...who are you?" He finally asked. His voice was rough and delicate, to say the least. He probably hasn't spoken in days, or even weeks or months, let alone shout and scream. Being chased off of by shopkeepers wasn't exactly the thing you could get used to easily. "Makinami Shiemi, an unseated shinigami from Division 4," Shiemi said as she reached backwards to snatch an unused tea-cup from the table behind them, pouring tea in it and placing it in front of the boy, "However, that is not what I'' asked ''you, little guy. Now, I will ask you one more time: do you know how I found you?" At first, the boy refused to answer. He squirmed just like he did before, either by fear or he simply didn't want to be bothered. Several seconds passed before he realized what happened; there was a hole in his memory. He knew that he was running away from two of these "shinigami", and then it all became black. Next thing he knew he opened his eyes and he was here. At this...restaurant? He has never been here before. Was this restaurant one of the few shops he chose not to steal from because it has better security and was filled with crowds? He gazed down the plate on the table, the object from which he ate all those food out of severe hunger. He then realize the quality of such food. They were...delicious. The type of food his mother used to make for him. Finally, he dared himself to set his gaze upon the woman who stood on the opposite of where he was sitting. She was the one from before. She seemed...nice and holy and caring. Another moment he realized the existence of another shinigami sitting quite far from where they are, or at least he thought that he was a shinigami. "N-no," the boy stammered, his gaze returning to the woman who calls herself Makinami. Shiemi sighed inwardly before focusing on the boy, "Here in the afterlife everything is not just all sunshine and rainbows, as I am sure that you are aware of. Before you came here you were a Plus, a recently deceased human soul. However, there are different kinds of souls out there and my partner and I were looking for what we shinigami call a "Hollow". The simple explanation of those things is that they're souls gone bad, very ''bad, and they eat the good souls to stay their hunger." Shiemi leant back in her chair, picking up her lukewarm tea cup to sip on the beverage before she looked out of a nearby window. "My partner and I were in the area when we felt the presence of a certain pair of Hollows that Soul Society wants gone, we found you with that dreadful shopkeeper and you know the tale from then on," Shiemi said as she sipped once more on her tea, "We never did find those damn Hollows, though..." The boy never thought he could shiver more than before. There were worse things here in the afterlife? Souls gone bad? And are now ''on the loose? His pupils were then fixated upon the woman. All his previous thoughts disappeared as he carved his gaze down the woman. He could never have thought that the beings in black would save him, a mere boy in the afterlife. There could be billions and maybe even gazillions of souls there, and this woman decided to save him, one in a gazillion, instead. "M-my name is T-Tyler," he spoke, still stammering. "You said your name w-was...Makinami-san, right?" Shiemi nodded, her lips twitching into a smile when she heard his name, "Correct, that's my name. Now, Tyler-kun, you need to be more careful out there. Chances are that you won't get away with stealing this easy the next time this happens, and I can't be there to help you all the time. As much as I'd like to help you then... you need to learn how to take care of yourself." The female shinigami waved a passing waitress closer to order a new round of snacks before she turned back to face the boy, Tyler. "You seem like a crafty little fellow, Tyler-kun, and you've got quite a bit of spiritual energy from what I can tell," she said softly and sipped her tea, "Why don't you try training that energy up a little? Who knows, you might even get accepted into the Shin'ō Academy!" The boy, Tyler, was surprised. When was the last time someone ever complimented him about something? Never. He spent his human days in jail due to his starvation. His parents could have praised him, saying they loved him or something else, but they were prevented from seeing him in a long time. He could cry all over again. Tyler eyed the woman, whom he calls Makinami-san, suspiciously. Then again, when was the last time he saw someone buying treats for him? And what is this...spiritual energy she talked of? Is that the currency they use here? He decided to find out. "Umm, Mak-Makinami-san...," his voice trailed off. "What is this spiritual...energy?" Shiemi blinked at him for a few moments before a somewhat sheepish look appeared on her face, "Ah, forgot you probably have no idea of what I'm talking about... well, Tyler-kun, spiritual energy is what gives you strength. It's what's making your stomach growl and crave food right now." Shiemi paused for a moment when their new supply of snacks and tea were delivered by a waitress, pushing a steaming bowl of noodles across the table to Tyler before . "Right now your spiritual energy is all over the place as you have yet to learn how to control it, Tyler-kun, it's one of the reasons how I found you in the first place, besides looking for those Hollows, I mean. Control is one of the many things they teach you on the Academy along with swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat and magic!" Shiemi smirked as she filled her cup with tea once more and sipped on the hot liquid, "So, what do you say? Want to give it a try?" Tyler blinked at Shiemi's words. Surprised and open-mouthed were his response. There were such things? Things he saw when he was still a human--those were real and not just his imagination running wild out of hunger? A wave of happiness came in crashing. His lips formed a smile, perhaps one in several years. He has such talent from the beginning, and he could become the beings in black he feared all this time. Who knows how many starving kids like him he could save out there. The chance to eat food as much as he wanted may as well be in it. "Yes." He was no longer afraid. He no longer stammered. In fact, there was confidence and happiness in his tone. Shiemi let out a wide grin. Partners in Crime, A Shadow's Report Two men walked down an alley, their facial expressions cold and their hands hovering just above their swords as they kept glancing behind them with regular intervals. “Y’think someone saw us?” one of the men spoke softly as he turned a corner, his lips thin from stress as his eyes darted around, searching for the smallest hint of danger. “Nah, we made sure that no one was around when we headed out, and besides, this ain’t exactly the hottest part of town, now is it?” the other growled as they stopped in front of a secluded building, twisting his head from side to side in search of anyone nearby. Without another word, he opened a somewhat concealed, wooden door and stepped in, urging his partner to get in after him. “Were you followed here?” a gruff voice drawled from the shadows when both had entered the building. “No, Boss, we didn’t meet or see anyone.” “Morons! Anyone could have followed you and you wouldn’t be able to spot the difference unless you’ve somehow come to possess the ability to sense spiritual energy!” “We weren’t followed! I swear it, Boss!” The gruff voice muttered a curse before its owner stepped out from the shadows, revealing an aged man. “Well, don’t just stand there!” he snapped when the two henchmen shuffled their feet before the door, “Report what you have discovered.” “The shinigami guard their damn archives better than they guard your house, Makinami,” one of the men grumbled as he reached into his robes and pulled out a small folder, “However, we did manage to get this little beauty before patrols came through.” “Excellent!” the man muttered as he accepted the folder, flipping it open to skim across the paragraphs within, “This changes many things… yes, with this my project will near its goal much faster!” “Dunno why you need that thing, though,” the henchman who had given the folder grunted, crossing his arms in annoyance, “I thought we had all our materials and components.” “One can never be too careful when dealing with demons, my friend,” the aged man muttered as his eyes flew all over the pages, greedily drinking in the information, “If you allow them even the tiniest slip of freedom they will wrench their way out of your hold and bring down all manner of disasters upon you.” “Sounds bad.” “It is.” “So, old man, when do we get paid?” The man, Makinami, promptly slammed the folder shut and looked upon the two men in front of him with calm, calculating eyes. “You will receive payment for your efforts when everything has been completed and the Gate between here and there has been stabilized. I know nothing about how it will turn out, but you can expect your reward once the summoning has been completed.” “Hrmph, guess we’re dependent on you until then…” “Indeed you are, my friend,” the aged man spoke, “However, let it not be said that Makinami Katsuro refuses to pay his debts.” ---- The man who had been following Shiemi had waited until she and the boy had their fill and left the restaurant. Then he too paid his tab, gathered his sword and wordlessly stepped out the door. From as far as he had gathered, the Shinigami intended to train the young boy, which while highly unusual considering their respective statuses did not bear any semblance to the “suspicious activities” he had originally been following her to discover. But it could have easily been a front for... something. He was frustrated, and scanned the skies above him, again as if searching for someone, before he started on his way. As always he was careful to keep a customary distance from his quarry as he followed her back through the streets of the Rukongai. While his pace was seemingly casual and weary, his sharp gaze missed nothing around him as he took in every detail, searching for signs of danger. It was entirely possible that he was walking into an ambush. He had seen no signs of it, but the specialized training he had received in the Second Division of the Gotei 13 made him keenly aware of such a possibility. His train of thought was interrupted when a vendor tried to turn him aside, beckoning him towards a display of ceramics. It took some effort to extricate himself from the situation, and by that time he had caught the movement of a black, fluttering object from the corner of his eye. It floated along through the air towards him, and he recognized it immediately as a Hell Butterfly that, no doubt, was conveying a message from his commanding officer. The man reached out his hand and allowed the butterfly to land on his finger, alert to the fact that this action itself might have exposed his nature as a Shinigami to any informed and unknown observers he might have had. He quickly ducked out of sight of the main thoroughfare, and crouching near a stack of crates in the shadows established the subtle link of Reiatsu that would allow him to receive the message. “Sakuma,” the message crackled through the static directly into his mind. “Regroup at the west-end plaza in Nikkō. It seems I’ve hit a lead.” That was the extent of the communication, and the Shinigami—Takashi Sakuma—sighed as he gathered energy beneath his feet before flashing into the sky a moment later, taking to the rooftops and moving quickly enough so as not to be seen by the passerby, or his abandoned target below. ----Hours had passed since he had been given the folder containing information about the Demon Realm, no doubt classified beyond recognition, yet something drew his eyes to the written words, beckoning him to continue reading the same pages over and over as if they would reveal their mysteries to him if he only had the patience. "Oi, Makinami, we're headin' out now!" The voice belonging to one of the two imbeciles he had hired to snoop into the Seireitei's Archives broke his concentration, making the Noble's head rise to glare at the two henchmen. "How so, gentlemen?" "Can't stay cooped up in here all day," the one who had spoken continued as he stepped forward, scratching the back of his head as he nodded to his partner before the two of them walked to the exit, "You know where to go when you need us again." The door shut, leaving the building in total silence except for the faint scuffle of paper rattling against wood, and Katsuro sighed in bliss. Finally, silence, and from what he understood then those buffoons wouldn't come back here for some time. He would finally have the time and place to thoroughly study these papers, to dig into a world of illegal information containing the Demon Realm, and no one would be around to interrupt him this time. He continued, writing down notes on a small sheet of parchment beside him as guesses and ideas jumbled around in his mind—all of them hinting that if he strives just a little further the answer would come to him. Still, it would not surprise him if people would begin asking questions within the next few hours, all of those feeble minded idiots wondering where he had disappeared off to this time, and no doubt that his eldest would soon make her way home after her morning shift to check on the youngest. Katsuro abruptly rose from his wooden chair, glancing around the room to see if he had let anything that would be able to identify him on sight lay about, before he shuffled together the papers he had read and written upon, stacking them neatly and placing them in the folder he had received earlier. He then brushed his hands over the front of his clothes, smoothing out any small wrinkles as he headed for the door and shut off the many sources of light hanging from the ceiling before exiting the old storage building. He walked down narrow streets and even darker alleys, casting glances over his shoulder every other minute as he weaved through the labyrinth of small, indifferent houses that littered most of the Rukongai closest to the Seireitei, reaching one of the main streets in a matter of minutes and immediately heading for the closest private carriage-service. As he waited for the driver to ready the small wagon Katsuro let his narrow eyes drift across the rooftops, a scowl on his lips when the vehicle finally began moving. "Destination, Sir?" "The Makinami Manor," Katsuro said as his eyes kept following the rooftops, "And make it quick." ---- As the two porters pushed the private carriage away from the nondescript and unoccupied accountant’s office, the Shinigami concealed in the warehouse across the street tracked its movements carefully, but did not follow the man. He motioned to Takashi, who had been waiting from the opposite street corner for the signal. Careful to avoid placing himself in direct sight of the building, Takashi entered the warehouse through the back and was joined by his hawk, who glided down from the eaves of the roof where she had been perched to take her place on his shoulder. Startled by the muted flutter of her wings, the other Shinigami cursed under his breath, “You’ve got to get rid of that damn bird,” he told Takashi. “Sir, are you going to follow the suspect?” Takashi asked instead, ignoring the unsavory comment his superior—the Ninth Seat of the Second Division Matabei Kita— had made. Matabei peered from the wide split between the double doors of the warehouse as he continued to search for signs of movement. “We already have his name,” he said, speaking in a hushed tone, “If we have to track him down later, we’ll know where to look. The same goes for those other two thugs who left earlier. ” “What are your orders then?” Takashi asked. “We’re gonna break in, of course,” came the almost too-easy reply. Matabei grinned behind his thick mustache, then quickly conveyed the instructions of how they were to enter. A few moments later, and Takashi found himself stealing along the corner of the building as he approached the main door, straining to catch any sign of an attack that might have come from inside. But the place appeared to be abandoned, and there was no movement even as they slid open the door and stepped inside the darkened interior. “Where are the guards?” Takashi whispered to Matabei, who shrugged in reply. “Don’t know and don’t care,” he answered, “But let’s try and get some dirt on this guy before they come back.” The two Shinigami moved through each room, searching every compartment for evidence of criminal transactions. Eventually the reached the end and found themselves in the back office, still without anything to show for their efforts. Matabei seemed entirely uninterested and ready to give up at that point, but upon closer inspection Takashi found an ink splotch on the surface of the desk which, still sticky to the touch, clued him in to other small, more incriminating anomalies. He frowned for a moment before he began to tap the floorboards surrounding the low-lying table, following the pattern of disturbances he had observed. Just as he had suspected, one of the boards echoed when struck, and it came loose to reveal a shallow hollow in the floor. What they found was a small collection of esoteric objects, their purpose undefined. There was a small box with dust and liquid-filled vials, scrolls with illegible Kidou spells, and bones and hair that appeared to be the remnants parts of a dead Hollow. “Document everything, but leave this crap here. We don’t want our occult-inclined friend to catch wind of our movements and fly the coop,” Matabei said. Takashi did as he had been told, jotting down a brief description and sketch of each item in a small field journal. “What do you suppose all of this is for?” he asked Matabei, who stroked his mustache for a few moments before answering. “Well it’s hard to say, but from the looks of it we might have finally uncovered something that’s actually useful to the Gotei.” he nodded, “I’ll take the news back to the Seireitei immediately. In the meantime, I want you to keep monitoring the Makinami family: you’ll be stationed here in the Rukongai for a few days. I want you to report anything strange to me, understood?” “Sir,” Takashi gave the affirmative with a very shallow bow. “Keep your wits up Sakuma,” Matabei warned, “We might have opened a real can of worms here, there’s no telling what you could be wading into.” Takashi’s stomach twisted uneasily at his words, but his expression was impassive as he answered simply. “Understood.” It was, after all, only his duty to comply despite the heavy weight of foreboding that settled upon his shoulders. He hoped it was only his imagination. ----Naomi hummed softly as she sat in her bed, a small mountain of pillows supporting her back and a good book in her lap, sipping on the medicinal tea that her nurse had brought her a few minutes earlier, as she focused solely on her book. This was a good one, much better than the previous one her sister had loaned her, with its stealthy, charming main character and the mysteries he kept encountering time after time. “Knock, knock!” a familiar voice called from the entrance to her room and Naomi’s head snapped out as her lips widened in a bright smile. “Nee-san!” she grinned and placed a bookmark the book before putting both that and her cup of tea on her small nightstand, “You’re back!” “I most certainly am!” Shiemi grinned back as she stepped inside her sister’s room, grabbing a stool nearby before placing it beside the bed, “How’ve you been, Naomi-chan?” “I’ve gotten a little better since last time you visited!” Naomi said excitedly as she extended her arm for her sister to see, “Look, I’m not as pale anymore, and I even got to sit out in the gardens yesterday with Mori-san!” Shiemi’s smile widened even further at her sister’s words before she reached out to gently ruffle Naomi’s hair, “I’m glad to hear it, Naomi-chan; you’re still taking the medicine, though?” “Yes, Mori-san says that I need to take it for a few more weeks before we try seeing how long I can stay out of bed again.” “You need to be careful when you’re out of the bed, Naomi-chan,” Shiemi sighed as she grabbed the half-full teacup on Naomi’s nightstand and filled it once more, “There’s a reason why we keep such a close eye on you.” Naomi’s face darkened for a moment, “So I won’t embarrass Tou-san, right?” “That’s not true,” Shiemi said sternly as she gave her sister a brief, harsh glare, “Tou-san might not seem like it but he means well for both of us, for the family. He wants you to get better just as much as I do, Naomi-chan, I promise!” “He didn’t like me sitting out in the gardens,” Naomi muttered as she took her now-full teacup and sipped on the medicinal liquid, “He said that people would start talking.” “Naomi-chan, people already talk about me being weird, they won’t even notice if there’s another strange person in the Makinami Clan,” Shiemi chuckled before she twisted around and fished a wrapped package out of a pouch she had brought along, “Which reminds me that I got another visit from our favorite special friend, Naomi-chan. Said friend got a new issue of your books, although it took a while for him to find it.” Naomi’s face lit up once more when she saw the square, hard package in her sister’s hands and eagerly accepted it, carefully ripping off the paper to reveal a black book. “Is this the one that you’ve been looking around for in ages?” she muttered as she turned it around, her eyes quickly reading what the back of the book spoke of before she looked up at Shiemi with glittering eyes, “I can’t believe that you actually got it!” “It’s all yours, Naomi-chan,” Shiemi said as she continued watching her sister flip through the book’s pages before she gently embraced her younger sibling, “It’s all just for you.” ---- Tyler wandered through the streets of Rukongai happily, despite the fact that he had been watched by a number of eyes that lay still in the dark. Some looked at him eerily, some looked confused, and yet, some looked happy seeing him like this. Whispers made their way around. Tyler didn't seem to care as he kept moving through the busy streets, bumping from one person to another. He understood that he was a thief shopkeepers should keep an eye on, and he also understood that he suddenly looked unusually healthy, let alone being brought to one of the most famed tea shops around here by a shinigami, but he still couldn't place why the people kept on glaring at him. A shinigami? Tyler mumbled. He had the power to become the being he feared so much all this time? How did he not notice it? How did he not notice that ordinary people, or should he call them souls, were not capable of feeling hunger? How did he not notice that he was one in a million? His grin widened as his feet kept wandering forward. The chance to save those like him, the chance to eat as much as he wanted, the chance to...simply be unique! Not just like any starving kid when he was a human! His eyes sparkled in delight. I have powers! He told himself. I must meet Makinami-san again! ----Smoke crawled along the clean wooden planks that covered the floor, myriads of candles softly illuminating a circle on said wooden floor with a five-pointed star drawn inside it, and in front of that circle stood Katsuro Makinami. Each point in the star had an ingredient for his ritual inside it—blood, bone, dust, liquid, hair—all things coming from either occult shopkeepers or from the Hollows that were slain by the Shinigami in the forests lying a few miles away from his family’s grounds. Katsuro’s eyes gleamed with barely held back glee as he held out both hands, one of them holding a butcher's knife dripping with blood from a cut along the palm of the other hand. Clenching his hand tight enough for the blood to dribble down from the palm onto the middle of the pentagram, Katsuro then began chanting in a loud, clear voice: “Gods of darkness, heed my words of warning. When the worlds collide and skies fall down, in a pit of hell we shall be. In damnation, crucified and tortured. Spirits guide us through the fear to our immortality, Spirits guide us through the fear to our immortality. Gods of darkness, I summon thee!” The smoke lingering on the floor disappeared the moment he uttered the last syllable, utter and complete silence engulfing the entire room to the point where Katsuro’s own breathing stilled for a good ten seconds. “I-it worked?” he muttered heatedly, eyes darting around the entire room to look for any signs of the demon he had desired to summon appearing in the quiet room. More silence followed, thick and heavy enough to practically choke the very air from his throat, before—''finally'', he mentally screamed—a deep, rasping breath echoed within the small room. “Demon!” Katsuro called out, his voice stern and harsh as steel, “Show yourself to me, your Master!” A rasping laughter, loud and boisterous, followed not even a second after the wealthy Clan leader had uttered those words. “Hah!” 'the demon, hidden by the veils of shadow that kept creeping along the floorboards, '“You are a fool, mortal…” 'the voice wheezed, sounding scratchy, almost as if something was stuck it its throat or blocking whatever it used to speak with, '“An idiotic fool if you believe blood as weak as yours to be enough to summon one as strong as I!” Katsuro stilled as the voice, while still booming in volume, slowly dissipated. “NO!” he cried out, reaching out towards the pentagram, “I forbid you from leaving! Tell me! Tell me, demon, how to summon you! Give me the power I need!” “Blood…” 'the demon’s voice growled from the shadows, '“Blood from kin… from souls… from powerful beings… bring me the blood of a child strong in the ways of the spirit, a child with power enough to bring me to your realm!” The demon’s voice finally disappeared, leaving the shivering nobleman in the now cold, clammy, empty room as he fell to his knees, eyes wide and a manic grin spread on his lips. “A child strong in the ways of the spirit…” he muttered manically as he leant his head back and laughed, the sound clear and insane as it echoed on the walls around him. He was willing to do anything if it meant getting the power he so desired. He would become powerful enough to earn the place within the Four Noble Clans that the Shiba Clan had left behind all those years ago, and he would sacrifice anything ''if it meant gaining that! A Scheme Unfoils From the deepest regions of his heart, Tyler knew that his meeting with the woman earlier this afternoon was ''not a coincidence. His parents had never taught him the concept of fate or destiny or things of the sort, but now, he had faith that the meeting was, in fact, was fate; it was destiny that brought them together. For this Tyler just had to meet Shiemi again. He had plenty of things to ask, information to find out about, and ideals to pursue. He was determined; he was obsessed. The late afternoon has become a hazy and gloomy night, unfortunately. Things often lurk within the shadows and Tyler dared not to wander around at night. He could remember, one of the days he spent in Rukongai, when he was chased by several mysterious figures at night for stealing their bread. He couldn't figure out whether they were simply souls in unorthodox garment or beings he has never seen before, and he lost the chance to find out. Nevertheless it was simply a memory. It was in the past, and he successfully stole the bread and munched it down. Soon Tyler grew weary and tired, his legs began to shake after hours of jogging in constant speed. It was as if his tendons were about to pop out. Finally he settled within a nearby ally. Of course, he checked whether the place was safe or not. It was quiet and Tyler found it quite cozy to some degree. There were several old cardboards conveniently placed on the rough surface. He figured he'd spend the night here. Tyler reviewed what had happened that day; truly it was a day to be remembered. It was like being freed from the confines of a jail in a humanely precinct, or getting money to buy lots of food, or even enjoy an entire buffet. Eventually he found his way to sleep in such a place. From that moment, however, Tyler felt something. He could feel it: someone's presence. He never actually noticed this before, but ever since he came to Soul Society, he could feel the presence of the people around him. But this one...this one was familiar. Its aura was strong and familiar. He got up, searching for whence it came from. "I can sense it...," a voice emerged out of complete darkness. "The presence of a powerful soul." Another, more female-like voice, followed. "If we can get our hands on that soul..." No. Tyler was wrong. It wasn't someone; it was something. And there were two of them! Tyler paused at the sight of two ginormous bird-like creatures which flew from within the abyss of the alleyway. One was beautiful, the other was utter darkness. They raced against the wind toward Tyler as they constantly flapped their giant wings. ---- "Please take the evening shift for me he says... There's more money in it he says..." Shiemi growled as she walked down the main street of the district she was currently patrolling, "This is the last time I'm ever covering for that damn Ibuki!" That partner of hers had come running with a pitiful excuse to slip out of patrolling duty earlier the same evening, and while Shiemi normally would refuse to take on more work than she usually had at the Division her situation was somewhat different this time. She had to make time for that kid, Tyler, if she wanted to whip him into shape. He'd need training, food, rest, more training and then some more training if he wanted to get somewhere even remotely ''important in the Soul Society. "I'm a damn idiot for doing this, and right before my days off, too," she continued on grumbling to herself as she turned a corner, stepping into a much dimmer street, and stopping for a moment as a familiar sensation ran down her back. ''Reiatsu, familiar reiatsu, was all over the place. The same reiatsu that she had felt—and hunted—not long ago, the same signature, pattern, all of it pointing to the same two culprits that she had been looking for along with Ibuki. Those damn Hollow! ''she hissed mentally before dashing down the street, her body automatically twisting and turning whenever it was needed, as she reached out with her mind and sought for the source of the two ''reiatsu that clung to everything around her. However, as she drew closer to the Hollow-''reiatsu another signature wormed its way in; yet another signature that she recognized, Tyler's. ''I just hope that I'm not too late! ''she thought as she dashed around yet another street-corner, arriving only meters from the sight of two shapes, one bright as the rays of the sun while the other seemed to slip in and out of shadows, both of them heading straight for what appeared to be a young boy. "Oh no you don't!" Shiemi snapped before rushing towards the two Hollows nearing the boy. Her hands held up in front of her she moved them in intricate patterns as her lips murmured the matching incantation, "Bakudo #62, ''Hyapporankan!" Rods of blue light lit up the area in front of her as they hurled towards the two Hollow before slamming into both of the hovering bodies, nailing them to the ground. "Ugh!" One of the two grunted. "Another one?!" Tyler watched in silence as the large beings got pressed onto the ground. The two emitted an aura he had sensed before, but somehow, they felt...eerie. Scary. As if he was staring into a black hole. In addition, he instantly noticed the presence of another familiar sensation; that of Shiemi's. He glanced over the two beings and his eyes finally met Shiemi's. He was astonished and frightened. But somehow, his heart stopped pounding so rapidly the moment he saw Shiemi. He was, however, once again astonished as one of the two beings, the lighter and larger one, broke free of the rods that pinned it to the ground. "A talented one, in fact," the Hollow added as its bright yet empty eyes stared at the female Shinigami. Its voice was gentle and feminine. Gritting her teeth, Shiemi narrowed her eyes as she drew closer to the two Hollows, more specifically the light one hovering above the ground. Briefly letting her eyes flicker down to watch Tyler for a few seconds Shiemi’s temper only grew hotter as she saw the terrified look on the boy’s face. “Do you two assholes have any idea about how long I spent trying to track your two worthless hides down? I've had to deal with an idiot partner, shopkeepers who expects bribery to saw anything and other things I'll refuse to mention here seeing as there is a child present. I may be less thorough than I ought to be whenever I’m on night patrols, and I may tend to be a little easygoing on the drunks when they try getting closer than what’s proper” Shiemi growled as she stalked closer to the Hollows and the Plus, silently drawing her Zanpakuto ''from its sheath as she drew closer to the three, “But one of the things that I most certainly ''do not condone is trailing after a little kid at night! Bakudo #62, Hyapporan!” Once more she shot off the Bakudo, aiming it solely on the Hollow who had broken free from her previous Kido-spell, before she ran straight towards the two Hollow only a few moments behind the spell as it shot towards it target. However, instead of attacking any of the Hollows, Shiemi continued past them until she had reached Tyler. Without a word, she snatched the still sickly-thin boy up in her arms before she made a run for it, Tyler hanging over her shoulder, while ignoring the roars and yells of anger behind the two of them. “So, Tyler-kun, you seem to attract all sorts of troubles, huh?” Shiemi wheezed as she turned around a corner, ducking into a dark trail between two wooden buildings before she finally came to a halt and finally let the boy down from her shoulder before kneeling down in front of him, “Now, are you alright? Did they hurt you, Tyler-kun?” A howl or a shriek or even a combination of the two broke the silence following Shiemi's last word as two of the Hollows flew past the dark corners with extreme speed, giving off a rush of wind toward their direction which Tyler found somewhat relieving. He sighed and went limp on the ground before Shiemi's stature, overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the demons that tried to devour him. "N-no," he stammered as he slowly regained his footing. His eyes were wide open. Nearly every inch of his body was shaking in terror. It was a lot more scarier than running off from angered bug-swatter-wielding-shopkeepers. "I'm fine...I think." He tried to concentrate on Shiemi's words and made the best reply he could, but the horrendous encounter was all too shocking for his brain to work properly. "Good," Shiemi nodded peeking out to see if the road was clear before turning her eyes back on Tyler, "because we are going to run as fast as we can. I can't fight these guys with you hanging on my back and I can't just send you out into the streets of Rukongai at night, well, not if I want to keep those days off. Therefore, my skinny friend, I will be taking you to the safest place possible." Category:Roleplay Category:Hibridragon Category:Nixie the Bloody Pixie Category:ShonenChicoBoy